Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
While Lemon got Effie settled, I fixed a quick supper, though after three burgers, I doubted Effie would be too hungry. Spaghetti was a quick, easy meal to make. By the time I was done, the girls had wandered back to the kitchen.
Effie clapped her hands in joy. “I love spaghetti! Thank you so much, Rocket!”
“You’re welcome, honey.” I patted the top of her head as she smiled up at me.
Supper was surprisingly easy. Effie didn’t mention anything about the kidnapping or her mother, and Lemon was her usual snarky self. The two of them ganged up on me something horrible. I loved every second of it. By the time we were finished eating, Effie was drooping. All of us had had a long day, but Effie had to be exhausted.
“Come on, you little hellion,” I said to Effie. “Let Lemon help you clean up for bed.”
“Will you let me and Lemon stay here with you forever, Rocket?”
The question caught me off guard, but before I had a chance to think about it, I smiled. “Absolutely. In fact, I’m going to insist on it. This is your home. Lemon’s too.”
“So when I wake up in the morning, you’ll both still be here?”
“I promise neither of us will leave unless we tell you where we’re going and when we’ll be back. And we won’t leave you alone. As for tomorrow…” I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “We’ll both be here when you wake up.”
She grinned and let out a long breath, I was sure she’d been holding it until I answered. Lemon put her to bed and held her hand until she fell asleep. By that time, Lemon was herself nearly asleep.
“Come on, little mama.”
“Ain’t no mama,” she groused. I gently extracted Effie’s hand from hers and lifted Lemon into my arms. She laid her head on my shoulder.
“Sure you are. And a good one, too, if the way you treat Effie is any indication.”
“Shut up.”
I chuckled as I carried her to our bedroom. “We need to talk, but I think it’s gonna have to wait until tomorrow.”
She grunted but didn’t move in my arms. I laid her on the bed, slipping her shoes off her feet. I pulled off my shirt but kept my shorts on, then crawled into bed beside her. I thought she might protest, but she simply turned into me and snuggled against my side. She situated herself with her head on my shoulder and one arm thrown over my chest.
As I sifted my fingers through her hair, I was struck at how right this felt. Sure, I was sexually attracted to Lemon to hell and back, but just having her next to me filled something in my life I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
I dozed off and on, not really wanting to go to sleep but not wanting to leave Lemon either. When she finally stirred, it was just after midnight. She stretched and rubbed against me like a contented cat.
“Hey there.” I brushed my lips over the top of her head.
“Hey.” Her voice was rough from sleep. If I’d thought she’d be shy about us being in bed together, I’d have been wrong. Just like everything else about Lemon, this was a surprise. “What time is it?”
“Little after midnight.”
She stretched, draping her body more fully on top of me. One thigh was over mine and she snuggled her face into my neck and inhaled.
“You smell good.”
I chuckled. “You smell good yourself.”
“Guess you’re used to sleeping with a woman, huh?” Lemon was fishing and I could hear the uncertainty in her voice. Despite how assertive she normally was, I knew Lemon had little experience outside of her immediate family with close personal relationships. Anyone with her personality would. She was raw and unfiltered and so fucking protective not many people could handle her brand of affection. She’d reluctantly let Wylde into her circle, but probably only because he was so much like her. Even if he was her sister’s man, if Wylde had been anyone other than who he was, Lemon would never have accepted him as solidly as she did. He would never have been the one she called when she needed help or was in trouble.
Now, she was in bed with a man she barely knew. She’d proclaimed herself my old lady and had even sealed the deal with a kiss. I wondered if she’d thought beyond that kiss. Had she been any woman other than Lemon, I’d have said she knew exactly what she was doing. Instead, I got the feeling she was just doing what felt good. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen yet but was enjoying the shit out of.
“Nope. Never slept with a woman. Have I fucked women? Sure. More than my fair share. But I don’t sleep with them.”